England’s first Test against Australia at Edgbaston concluded with a two-wicket loss on the final day. It was a match that showcased dramatic moments akin to the Ashes of 2005, and one of the major talking points from the match was Ben Stokes’s decision to declare his side’s first innings on day one when they were 393-8 and had Joe Root well-set on 118. Stokes defended his move, insisting he saw an opportunity to pounce on Australia. However, there has been much debate about whether his declaration cost England the game.
Mail Sport’s experts weighed in on the decision, with Lawrence Booth saying the declaration did not cost England the game. They had Australia at 227 for eight on the last day with them chasing 281, which should’ve resulted in an England win, but they missed key chances throughout Australia’s first innings, and Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon batted brilliantly. On the other hand, David Lloyd said the declaration potentially cost England 40 runs, alongside the pitch and injury to Moeen Ali, while Nassar Hussain said he would not criticise for trying out a new style of Test cricket. Finally, both Paul Newman and Richard Gibson stated that although they might not have agreed with the decision, there were bigger reasons for England losing, such as missed catches, and a lack of killer instinct.
